Jazz aren’t NBA’s worst team, and that’s okay
Nov 12, 2025, 5:59 PM
Utah Jazz fans celebrate against the Indiana Pacers (Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – If you’re a Utah Jazz fan who feels conflicted after each win this season, you’re not alone.
The Jazz have already won four of their first 11 games—an impressive start compared to last season, when they held the NBA’s worst record nearly wire-to-wire. Despite 71 games still remaining, plenty of fans are already checking the standings to see where the Jazz sit in the lottery odds.
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I hate to break it to you, but the Jazz aren’t the NBA’s worst team anymore, and that’s alright.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ‼️
▪️ OKC improves to 11-1
▪️ DEN, NYK win their 5th straightDownload the NBA App for more: https://t.co/pBKIAWNToa pic.twitter.com/fRXHZqMGmG
— NBA (@NBA) November 12, 2025
Is it okay that the Utah Jazz aren’t tanking?
At 4-7, the Jazz have already matched last season’s win total through December 5, when they sat alone at the bottom of the Western Conference standings at 4-17. While they could still drop their next 10 games and mirror last year’s start, they’re more likely to keep winning at an almost respectable pace.
Over the past three seasons, fans have learned to celebrate losses and dread wins, constantly calculating how each victory might reduce their lottery odds before the NBA Draft. Even when they embraced this upside-down rooting strategy, they had to endure the pain of watching the lottery balls bounce the wrong way.
This season, Austin Ainge, the team’s new President of Basketball Operations, has kept the message simple: The Jazz aren’t worried about that right now.
Fans should follow suit.
Will the Jazz start tanking?
Let’s be clear—the Jazz don’t want to lose this year’s top-eight protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. If a few wins after the All-Star break threaten that outcome, they’re smart enough to pull back. But for now, fans should enjoy the wins without unnecessary anxiety.
The Jazz are winning because Lauri Markkanen is playing at an All-Star level. That’s great for his development and valuable for the franchise, whether they keep him long-term or explore trade options later this season.
Keyonte George has taken a major step forward, evolving from a flashy prospect into a foundational piece in the backcourt—an essential milestone for a team aiming to move beyond its rebuild.
Ace Bailey is starting to justify last year’s injury-related shenanigans, while Brice Sensabaugh, Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, and Cody Williams have all shown promising signs of growth.
Even though the Jazz are on pace to win 29 games—a total that could jeopardize their first-round pick—they’ve faced the NBA’s easiest schedule so far. If needed, they can shift back into losing mode later in the season to secure a top-eight selection next June.
As the schedule gets tougher—and it will—the losses will come. Eventually, the lottery odds will return to the spotlight.
But for now, this young Jazz roster is proving that last season’s 17-65 record isn’t inescapable. Even if the team’s priorities shift later, fans don’t need to feel uneasy about these early wins.
